The discussion that follows just about every national team roster announcement focuses on the fringes—the players who just missed the cut and the surprise inclusions.

It’s not unlike the Selection Sunday analysis of the NCAA Basketball Tournament field. The schools on the bubble aren’t threats to win the title, but the activity and controversy on the edges of the bracket make for compelling conversation.

On Thursday, when U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann named the 21-man team that will face Italy on Feb. 29 in Genoa, fans and media immediately noticed the absence of midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who remains in Klinsmann’s doghouse despite his outstanding play for Belgian leaders Anderlecht.

The inclusion of 21-year-old German-American forward Terrence Boyd raised plenty of eyebrows. The Borussia Dortmund reservist was supposed to be on his way to Dallas to join the U.S. Under-23 team for the Feb. 29 game against Mexico. Instead, he’ll get his chance to train—and perhaps play—with the big boys despite the fact that he’s never turned out for Dortmund’s senior side.

Why bring in two backup goalkeepers for a single midweek friendly? Was Houston Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron the replacement for injured Oguchi Onyewu? Would Robbie Rogers have been named again if not for the concussion he suffered in his debut with Leeds United?

Concerning another game or another roster, those fringe issues might be interesting. But not now. This time it’s about the stars, the players who normally are a shoo-in and whose inclusion is considered a given. The most intriguing aspect of Klinsmann’s roster isn’t the appearance of Boyd or Jose Torres or the denial of Kljestan, it’s that the country’s two most famous and accomplished attacking players both are on it.

That’s right—for the first time since Klinsmann took over following last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey will take the field together. One or the other has managed to miss every one of Klinsmann’s nine games in charge. Perhaps it’s not an accident that the U.S. has managed to score just seven goals in that span.

The fact that Donovan and Dempsey hadn’t played together under a new system implemented by a new coach was an issue last October, when Dempsey called it a “difficult situation” following a 1-0 loss to Ecuador. Klinsmann has acknowledged that building the partnerships and tandems he wants to create across the field takes time. He doesn’t have much now. The Italy game will mark the last time he’ll have his full team together before preparation for World Cup qualifying begins in late May.

Donovan and Dempsey certainly have played together many, many times for the U.S. But Klinsmann is asking for far more fluidity and versatility than his predecessor, Bob Bradley, and has been more willing to experiment with different attacking tactics and roles. The star pair knew what they had to do and where they had to play under Bradley. With Klinsmann, there are far more options.

Dempsey can play just about every position in the attacking half of the field. He can deploy as a striker, as a withdrawn forward or even as a playmaker sitting behind two frontrunners. He’s comfortable moving the ball through crowded spots in the middle or he can attack from a flank position like he did under Bradley.

Donovan is more accustomed to playing out wide for both club and country, but he demonstrated during the MLS Cup final last November that he’s still comfortable up front. Considering Klinsmann’s dearth of options at forward, it might make sense to push Donovan up.

However Klinsmann decides to position Donovan and Dempsey will have significant repercussions through the rest of the lineup. The domino effect will influence the shape of the midfield and who plays there, in addition to the attacking and defensive responsibilities of four or five other players.

Klinsmann surely would have loved to tinker with the almost endless number of permutations for months. Instead, he’ll get 90 minutes in Genoa. That’s what will be worth watching and analyzing when the U.S. faces the four-time World Cup champs, not whether Boyd subs in for 10 minutes.

Here’s a closer look at the team and how Klinsmann’s decisions about Donovan and Dempsey might shape it:

The last time Klinsmann had access to his European players he started Cherundolo, Goodson, Bocanegra and Chandler in back. It would be no surprise to see the same alignment in Genoa, but the coach’s need to get Donovan on the field could lead to some shuffling.

Although he’s listed as a midfielder, Hoffenheim’s Fabian Johnson has been starting recently at left back for his club. He played very well in November’s win at Slovenia as an outside midfielder and appears to be a player Klinsmann should have on the field. Perhaps Johnson could slide back and leave room for Donovan in midfield.

Both Donovan and Dempsey are listed as forwards but either, or both, could play in midfield—especially if Klinsmann deploys the 4-4-2 formation that was so effective against Slovenia.

The coach also must decide if he wants to use two defensive midfielders or just one. Michael Bradley demonstrated some comfort playing in a wider role against Slovenia, but has been doing well for Chievo Verona in the middle and may stay there Feb. 29 considering his increasing familiarity with Italian players and tactics.

Whether or not Torres sees national team action for the first time since breaking his foot in September also could depend on the Dempsey and Donovan question. Torres is a gifted passer who’s used to a role in central midfield, but he could be squeezed out if Klinsmann prefers to give one of his stars a playmaking role behind the frontrunners.

The U.S. scored three goals in Slovenia with Altidore and Buddle on the field together. If Klinsmann wants to try that again, that means Donovan and Dempsey fall back and play either in the 4-4-2 that Bob Bradley used to use or in a diamond-shaped midfield with Dempsey at the apex, Donovan on the wing and just one defensive midfielder.

Leaving Buddle or Altidore on the bench opens up a significant number of possibilities. But it all depends on how Klinsmann believes that Donovan and Dempsey will be most effective.